Safety container for rockets



y 9 1948- F. c. EASTMAN 2,445,423

7 SAFETY CONTAINER FOR ROCKETS Filed March 6, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 20, 1948. F. c. EASTMAN 2,445,423

SAFETY CONTAINER FOR ROCKETS Filed March 6, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 54 42 [nven for airplane, boat, vehicle or the like.

Patented July 20, 1948 sire-o STATES SAFETY CON ROB ROCKETS Ap lic tion Marc .6, 1946,-Ser'i al;No- 552.411

1 invention relates to a safety container for rocket projectiles, such a container being adapted to be installed in aircraft, -naval craft, vehicles, or any location where it is desirable to guard against the hazard created by unexpected ignition of the propelling charge of a rocket, by enemy bullets or otherwise.

Experience in combat has taught that when the motor section of a rocket being carried other- Wise than in a launching tube is penetrated by a bullet the propelling charge-inthe rocket is often ignited and the rocket takes 01f, with disastrous result to thecraft in which it is being carried and/ or to persons in the vicinity.

The object .of the present invention is to remove the danger to persons and equipment resuitin from unexpected or accidental ignition of the propelling charges ofrockets stored in an This is accomplished, according to the invention, by providing a storage structure comprising means for positively holding the rockets from movement and at the same time conducting ,away the blast of :burning gases from ignited propelling charges to aplace where it willdo no damage.

One embodiment of the invention, selected for purposes of illustration, is fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a threesecticn holder or container in which two sections are occupied by rockets and one section-is empty;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, partly in elevation and partly in section upon the line lI-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. :3 is an inverted plan view; partly in section upon the line lIL-III of 1; and

F 4 i n inve ted plan viewion the line 'IV IV of Fig. 2.

Although the invention is illustrated as embodied in a container comprising three sections, adapted to hold three rockets, the apparatus may obviously consist of a holder for a single rocket or any multiple thereof.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a base Ill is connected by upright front bars I2 and rear bars I3 to an upper crosshead M in which is secured a stationary, horizontal shaft I6. Journaled upon the shaft I6 is a sleeve l8 having a radially projecting handle 20, and a pair of radial lugs 22 which constitute one member of a toggle. The other member of the toggle is a short rod 24 articulated with the lugs 22 by a pivot pin 26. The lower end of the rod 24 is screw threaded into a cup 28, the open, lower end of which 2. is 'f'ormedto'receiveand fit the nose=ofa rocket R.

The cup .28 is mounted rotatably in *a guide slide 30 which is vertically movable uponthe bars 12 and I3. A flange 32, integral with the cup 28 and having a knurled periphery, provides manually operable means for screwing the cup up or-down on the rod 24th adjust the position of the 'cup to the length of therockets to be held.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the front portion :of the slide 30 is formed to fit against the front bars -I 2 when the slide is horizontal, and there'ar portion of the slide is journaled on-pivot pins 33 carried by slidable blocks, 34 formedto Efit against therear bars l3.

The structure described above constitutes :a toggle clamp for-positively holding down a rocket engaged by the cup 28. In Fig. 1 rockets are shown clamped in the left-hand and center-holding units and the right-hand unit is shown empty, with the clamping cup 28 raised. In use, when the handle 20 is swung forward around the shaft 1-6, to the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 2, the guide slide '30 and clamping cup 28 are raised to inoperative positions, per mitting easy removal or insertion of a rocket. Whenthe handle is swung rearward and the parts are in the positions shown in full lines, the toggle -22, 241s straight and the cup 28 is held down positively in clamping engagement with the nose of the rocket R.

The lower, or tail, end of each rocket rests upon and is supported by the upper end of a short, downwardly flaring exhaust tube 36, the lower end of which opens into a relatively large, horizontal, open ended, exhaust manifold 38 disposed at right angles to the axis of the tube and having a cross-sectional area larger than that of the tube. Ihe gases in the blast from' an ignited rocket expand, with a reduction of pressure, while passing through the flaring exhaust tube 36 and then expand greatly in the large manifold 38, with the result that by the time they escape their pressure is much lowered.

The exhaust manifold 38 may be of any length necessary to conduct the blast of burning gases away to a place where it will do no damage. For example, when the rocket container or holder is installed in an aircraft, which is one of the 10- cations where it is most valuable, the exhaust manifold may extend to, and through, both sides of the fuselage and discharge the rocket blast into the outside air at both sides of the craft, without damage to equipment or personnel. Release of the gases simultaneously in opposite directions produces such a balance of forces that 36. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the manifold 38 tube 36. Journaled in the bearing 42 is a similarshort shaft 46, in alinement with the shaft 44.

A semicircular flap 48 is pinned to the shaft 44' and a similar semicircular flap 50 is pinned to the shaft 46. Light torsion springs 52 and 54 surrounding the shafts 44 and 46, respectively, tend continually to rotate said shafts oppositely in such directions as to maintain the flaps 48 and 50 in the positions shown in Fig. 3 and in the righthand and left-hand units in Fig. 1, with the lower ends of the exhaust tubes 36 closed against the entrance of burning blast gases from the manifold 38.

When the propelling charge of a rocket in a holder is ignited the springs 52 and 54 yield readily to the downward pressure of the blast upon the flaps 48 and 50, and permit the flaps to swing down to the positions shown in the center holder in Fig. 1, dividing the blast of burning gases and allowing them to flow in opposite directions in the manifold 38, as indicated by the arrows on the drawing.

Tests have demonstrated that it is entirely practicable to hold a rocket while its ropelling charge is burning out, if a free exit is provided for the burning gases and the rocket is not allowed to start to move, whereas if any initial movement is permitted it is diflicult or impossible to stop the flight of the rocket. The present invention provides simple, practical means for positively holding one or more rockets, and conducting away to a safe place the blast of burning gases resulting from accidental ignition of their propelling charges.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A safety container for rockets comprising a rocket holder provided with means for positively holding a rocket against movement, an open exhaust manifold disposed transversely of the axis of a rocket in the holder and spaced from the tail end of the rocket, and an exhaust tube opening into said manifold, said tube being coaxial with the rocket and having one of its ends in contact with the tail end of the rocket.

2. A safety container for rockets comprising a plurality of rocket holders arranged side by side and each provided with means for positively holding a rocket against movement, an open exhaust manifold disposed transversely of the axes of rockets in said holders and spaced from the tail ends of the rockets, and a plurality of exhaust tubes opening into said manifold, said tubes be- "ing coaxial with said rockets, respectively, and

each tube having one of its ends in contact with one of the rockets.

3. A safety container for rockets comprising a storage structure provided with holders for retaining rockets, exhaust tubes, in contact with the tailends of rockets in said holders, for conducting away gases from the rockets in the event of accidental ignition of the propelling charges thereof, and an open ended exhaust manifold into which said tubes lead and which extends from said tubes in opposite directions at right angles to their axes.

4. A safety holder for rockets comprising an exhaust tube, clamping means for holding a rocket with its tail end against one end of said tube, an exhaust manifold into which the other end of said. tube leads, said manifold being disposed at right angles to the axis of said tube, and means associated with the tube for dividing gases emerging from the tube to cause them to flow in opposite directions in the manifold.

5. A safety holder for rockets comprising an exhaust tube, clamping means for holding a rocket with its tail end against one end of said tube, and a yieldable, one-Way gate associated with the tube and opening only outwardly thereof to permit emergence of burning'gases from the tube while preventing entrance of flame into the tube in the opposite direction.

6. A safety holder for rockets comprising means for positively holding a rocket from movement, a flaring exhaust tube disposed with its small end in register with the tail end of a rocket in the holder, and an open exhaust manifold having a cross-sectional area larger than that of the tube, into which the large end of the tube opens.

FRED C. EASTMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,330 Great Britain Feb. 13, 1915 298,525 Germany Nov. 22, 1920 507,684 France July 1, 1920 

